Ryan Dunn

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I never posted a ten year retrospective, and FIFTEEN is approaching. I feel like I've talked and thought more about LJ in the past year than I did in the years before my 10 year anniversary. It's entirely possible I'll try to start using this again. Haven't looked at ello in months...

Fri, Jun. 11th, 2010, 05:03 pm

Prepost apology:

I still haven't written that 10 year state of livejournal that I promised back on my 10th LJ anniversary. I am still thinking about it. A lot more of general import has happened on the broad techscape since then, including Youtube existing, period. Livejournal also took a backseat, which means the aggressively aggregating nature of its material form doesn't hold as much relevance to my study, and I'll have to consider that as well.

Post:

I graduated from my MFA program at SAIC (the School of the Art Institute of Chicago) almost three weeks ago. Since then I moved out of my apartment of two years, from a tiny out of the way space to a large live/work/venue space right into the middle of what Chicagoans call 'the crotch', Wicker Park.

My new room is about 30' from the blue line (literally thirty feet from the elevated tracks, and on the same level), directly across from the Damen stop. There is, unlike my last neighborhood, a nearly endless supply of activity outside, though I have been neatly tucked away in my room for most of it. I am...broke...and waiting to start my job in the fall.

I have, tentatively, a job teaching part time at Columbia College in the fall, where I will teach in their Interactive Arts and Media program, at first teaching a Sound and Music for Interaction class—hopefully to include one more, or, I don't know how I will be surviving. Either way this is a great inlet to my desired path and one I know most people don't have access to, even from a school such as the one I just matriculated from. My skillset was acknowledged to be different, but in a valuable way from the experiences of the other faculty in the department. I also have hope that perhaps I can do some department hopping and end up teaching some performance and/or sound classes in the fine arts wing of the school. I was so lucky as to be passed through the bureaucracy by a colleague, soon to be a professional colleague and get this opportunity by nepotism. I don't know what I would be doing otherwise...

The venue I moved into is called Enemy. It is, in my estimation, the preeminent DIY and regular experimental sound venue in the city. The priorities are almost entirely in keeping with mine (I may actually have some slightly more entrepreneurial inclinations than the other residents), and the living environment is beautiful. I moved in on the 1st and still have yet to really settle in or explore the non-commercial aspects of the neighborhood.

Wicker Park is almost entirely consumed by gentrification, but it is still the host to the most centralized group of DIY venues and art galleries in the city. It's a strange mix and I have been vocally calling for neighborhood reclamation projects. I believe the gentrification can only go so far in the current direction it has gone and there is serious room to challenge its supremacy...

I haven't yet booked any events here (since moving in), but I did book a couple things here while I was in school. I have some ideas for upcoming events, but I haven't pursued anything yet since I am just trying to get settled and figure out the upcoming job, and other work if I can find it. It looks like I have a travel expenses paid road trip and performance opportunity on the 25th. I am going to try to have some kind of housewarming party here for my friends and art friends. Part of figuring out what to do with this space is going to be me figuring out how to include the curatorial efforts of others without irritating my roommates. They are very aware of this 'being our house', and while I respect that, I also think this space is here for a specific reason, and there are things that can happen here that aren't extremely loud or as encompassing as music, and I want to try to make other event types happen in addition to the kind of dynamic music that eliminates all other potential.

Here's to a great new future of opportunity. Now I just need to get a new frame for my bike so I can get around, and all will be well with the world.

I just found that a new friend was a livejournal user and happened upon the realization that this, almost exactly, is my ten year anniversary. I haven't posted in a number of months but I thought the incredible timing of this was too good to pass up making a post.

I still believe networked blogging, ala livejournal, is the most incredible social networking format that has been created, but it has serious social drawbacks since it is only inclusive to a select group of people who are of the creative class. This, however, creates a special environment that is lively and important.

I will spend the next day trying to think more deeply about how this medium has changed, and become a different space and how it relates to the internet as it has changed in the past 5 years since I did my 5 year analysis of the state of livejournal.

Wed, Oct. 28th, 2009, 01:24 am

In the Passing Lane

Sunday November 1st, 1:00pmmeet at the front curb of the MCA220 E Chicago Ave

I invite you to join in an attempt to bridge the gap between man and machine by attempting to communicate with the denizens of the road: automobiles. We will engage in a series of common movements and sounds that we have been able to determine are their primary signifying behaviors in an attempt to pass as one of their own and thus gain access to greater understanding of what it is to be an automobile.

The performance will take place in the street.If you feel safe and would like to join in this attempt, I invite you to do so at your own risk. You are also free to come and observe from a distance. Please feel free to improvise and include sounds and motions you feel might give you a greater recognizability as an automobile to the automobiles around you. We will try to focus our attention on these machines, and only respond to other human beings and the environment as if we are automobiles. This ostensibly means following all traffic laws, and proscribed behaviors including but not limited to yielding to pedestrians, using your turn signals or hazard lights as may be appropriate, and perhaps letting yourself be driven, or even 'jacked'.

This will begin promptly at 1:15pm. Further instructions will be imparted at that time.

Please feel free to invite others, and to email with questions or concerns.

I've reached a steady point in this visual software I've been writing. It's simple, and complex. Emergent behavior drives a host of complex results that are all user customizable, and playable to some extent.

Ok, I haven't done this one, in fact, I can't think of the last time I did one of these, I'm sitting around after my post brunch sleep-off (wasn't I supposed to be reading?) which resulted in missing the yearly appearance of the superb owl because I was curled up under my blanket.

25 Random Things (Tagged by Daniel Pokorney)

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

1. My most odious and beloved habit is the mincing of words.2. I love making things what they are not supposed to be, using the wrong tool for a job, and tinkering.3. I am addicted to online Risk (sillysoft.net) and other conceptual investigations into games.4. I love music, but I will listen to sub-par instrumentation for lyrics, and bad lyrics can ruin even amazing instrumentation for me.5. I grew up in an isolated house, and spent most of my childhood playing by myself.6. I cut my teeth in the arts being a singer, reader, then a poet—playing noise has canceled out my ability to formulate effective language.7. I have great fondness for the Republic of Cascadia, and miss it dearly.8. I am brusque, but sensitive.9. I own eleven domain names, including liscentric.com, disjunct.net, ryandunn.net, shitfunk.com, thejerkmovement.com, masturbatingcat.com, johntmacarthur.com, bacteriadays.com, ignoranceserviceprovider.com, gopkiller.com, and ministryofinformation.net, most of which have only rudimentary content.10. Given the opportunity I will always investigate places I am not supposed to go.11. I am adopted from birth—the terms of my adoption stipulated being -raised- Catholic.12. I want nothing more than to enrich the cultural and philosophical wealth of humanity.13. Arguing is one of my oldest pastimes.14. Making things is its own reward, but I would love it if I could use the pursuit to subsidize my basic needs.15. The theory has been advanced that I do not sleep.16. I took my friend Arvid, who is an autonomous rock friend, with me to NYC where I got him a Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt (which was subsequently stolen off him at Mutant Fest...).17. Drinking.18. Daily habits are my weak point.19. I have a poor if not tenuous connection between my mind and my body. I have a history of needing to be told when I'm hot and not realizing if I'm hungry, tired, or need to use the restroom. Despite this subconscious lack, I am a great dancer and am engaged with my body in creative practice.20. When engaged I will continue said focus to the detriment of everything else.21. My social skills are 1000% better than when I was a child, and I still feel like I have serious issues.22. I am an excellent listener, and very empathic. Though I can't solve my own problems, who can?23. My sense of humor is bizarre, and often beyond explanation.24. I have bad skin, am allergic to tree nuts, and sometimes have trouble breathing, but I have exceptional vision. My hearing is pretty good too, but I'm sure I've suffered at least some damage...25. I am verbose!